DESTINATION:

HYDROGEN
 SUMMARY

04 THE SOURCE

05
OF LIFE

03 INTRODUCTION
06 - 07 OUR FRIEND
HYDROGEN

11 BUILDING
DISTRIBUTION

12 NETWORKS

08 - 10 DESTINATION :
HYDROGEN 13 HYDROGEN TAKES
TO SOCIAL MEDIA

14 - 17 OVERVIEW OF THE HYDROGEN

MOBILITY MARKET

18 THREE QUESTIONS

© Cover picture : Marco Govel Stocksy.com. Summary : Colin Anderson Stocky.com - ESA/Thomas Pesquet - ESA. Intro : Shutterstock
19 UNLIMITED
FOR JULES VERNE

20
CLEAN ENERGY

21 - 22 TIME TO
SCALE UP

23 HYDROGEN
ON LINE

24 - 25 THE HYDROGEN
ECOSYSTEM

26 INTERVIEW WITH
THOMAS PESQUET

WE DEMAIN EDITIONS
Editorial Committee
Publisher : Jean-Dominique Siegel. Partnership : Mairé Sue. Editor-in-chief : Gilles Luneau.
Pierre-Etienne Franc Artistic Director : Alison Guyard. Copy editor : Claire Gollot. Iconography : Sylvain Galy.
Dominique Lecocq Graphic design and pre-press : Élodie Doré.
Alexandra Lebrethon www.wedemain.fr Printed on PEFC paper by Valpaco, certified imprim’vert, 3 Rue du Pont des Halles 94150 Rungis.

2
 INTRO
B orn in the stars, hydrogen is one of the major components of our pla-
net. The advantage of this abundant, colorless, odorless and non-
corrosive element is that it contains three times more energy per kilo-
gram than petrol. Because its atoms are so simple – made up of just
one proton and one electron – it is the lightest chemical element.
Hydrogen does not occur naturally on its own. It is always bonded
with other molecules, most commonly to form water, and water covers 70% of the Earth’s
surface. Hydrogen has been a common feature of industrial innovation through the ages,
since the Swiss inventor Isaac de Rivaz harnessed its power in the first hydrogen engine
in 1806. Space exploration would, of course, have been impossible without it. We find
hydrogen in many industries – metallurgy, chemistry, petrochemistry, and pharmacy – but
until recently it was not used for transport. Mechanical engineering has traditionally stee-
red away from the hydrogen engine. It resurfaced periodically, each time presenting itself
as a reinvention of a great idea, but the verdict was always the same: too expensive! Why
would you run an engine on hydrogen, which has to be extracted from natural gas, when
you can use CNG or LNG directly, or just stick with cheap petroleum-based fuels? You can
produce hydrogen through water electrolysis, however, the process uses a great deal of
electricity and can therefore be even more expensive.
Everything changed with the advent of renewable energy. Renewable sources are
capable of producing unlimited amounts of electricity, but not always when we want
it. And that’s where hydrogen comes in. The major issue with electricity is that it must be
used when it is produced. If it is not used immediately, the electricity generated by a
wind turbine or solar cell is simply lost (this is known as “unavoidable energy”). Because
this electricity would otherwise be lost, cost-effectiveness becomes irrelevant and water
electrolysis makes sense. And because it is easy to store, hydrogen provides us with a way
of storing electricity in gas or liquid form, simply by compressing or cooling it. The hydrogen
can be converted back into electricity as and when it is required by powering a turbine or
fuel cell. These are mature, familiar technologies that give us another way of meeting the
challenge of climate change while cutting our oil import bill.
So, when will we be ready to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen? We’re actually ready now!
The prototype and experimentation stages are well behind us. Hydrogen proves every
day that it is a great solution for transportation and storing electricity. It is now time to
scale these solutions up, to industrialize them, to create the markets that will establish a
hydrogen-based green economy, and spread the word to the general public. People will
then begin to understand that hydrogen solutions are more than just responses to a tech-
nological and environmental problem. They are the signs and symbols of a society that
is moving towards more resilient lifestyles. We’re not just changing the fuel we use; we’re
changing our way of life. The air is looking purer and suddenly, the future of humanity is so
much clearer.

AIR LIQUIDE 3
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

Abundant, clean, renewable

THE SOURCE OF LIFE

•

THE FUEL CELL IS DISCREETLY INSTALLING

ITSELF IN OUR LIVES : POWERED BY HYDROGEN,
IT PRODUCES ELECTRICITY... BY MAKING WATER.

Hydrogen’s calorific value of was
discovered in the nineteenth century:
burning a kilo of hydrogen produces
almost three times as much energy as
burning a kilo of petrol. It was then that
we began to use hydrogen for heating
and lighting, before it lost its place to
oil and natural gas. On the other hand,
hydrogen’s very low density means
that it takes up more space than the
equivalent mass of petrol; 4.6 liters of
dihydrogen compressed at 700 bars are
needed to produce the same amount of
energy as one liter of petrol. Hydrogen
is abundant almost everywhere, and in
particular in water molecules (which
consist of two atoms of hydrogen and
one atom of oxygen) and carbon chains,
but it is rarely alone. It therefore must
be extracted as a gas, in its diatomic
form dihydrogen (two atoms bonded
together). We have a long history of
extracting hydrogen from coal, and
later natural gas. Today, we understand
the negative impact of these processes
on the environment: they produce the
greenhouse gases that cause climate
In 1839, Sir William Robert Grove (1811-1896).
Grove. In 1839, he demonstrated that
recombining dihydrogen and dioxygen
produced electricity, heat and water
simultaneously. The synthesis of water is
the principle behind the fuel cell.
A fuel cell is made up of a positive
terminal – the cathode – and a negative
terminal – the anode. Electrons and
it they have to divide into electrons and
ions, because the electrolyte blocks the
electrons and forces them into a circuit
where they generate an electric current.
At the same time, the hydrogen ions
flow through the electrolyte to reach the
oxygen, and combine with it to form
water. The entire chemical reaction also
produces heat, which can be recovered.
The fuel cell’s total energy efficiency is
around 60% (compared to 35% for a
standard combustion engine in a petrol
car).
LOW-CARBON HYDROGEN
Hydrogen is a secondary energy
carrier. It must be isolated from the
molecules it is combined with to extract
its own energy. The source of hydrogen
used will affect the carbon footprint
of the processes it powers. Natural gas
(mainly methane) is still used on a
large scale today to produce dihydrogen
for industry, and in particular for the
desulfurization of hydrocarbons: in
2017, the volumes of hydrogen supplied
by Air Liquide to refineries across the
© Smith Sonian Institution Libraries

change. As an alternative, we can
produce hydrogen through electrolysis
or through CCUS (Carbon Capture
Utilization and Storage) technology.
This hydrogen gas can then be used to
power a fuel cell, which was invented
by a British scientist, Sir William Robert
ions (the elements of an atom) are made
to flow between them. The cathode
and the anode are separated by a solid
or liquid electrolyte. In a fuel cell, the
dihydrogen arrives at the anode and the
dioxygen at the cathode. The oxygen
attracts the hydrogen atoms, but to reach
world saved 1.5 million tons of sulfur
oxides from being released into the
atmosphere. This represents around ten
times the total emissions of a country
like France. Hydrogen is also used
in metallurgy, chemistry, pharmacy,
electronics, and food processing.

4
HOW A HYDROGEN
FUEL CELL WORKS
A hydrogen atom includes
positive ions and negative
electrons. Oxygen (O2)
is pumped in through the
cathode, attracting the
hydrogen atoms (H2) which
are introduced at the anode.
To get to the oxygen,
the hydrogen atoms have
to cross an electrolyte or
membrane which blocks
their electrons. These
electrons are forced into
another circuit which
produces electricity. The
ions (H+) on the other hand,
flow through the electrolyte
to reach the oxygen atoms
which they bond with to
form water (H2O). This
process produces heat,
which can also be used
as a source of energy.
Current research is focused
on perfecting the
membranes.

In France, industry consumes
900,000 tons of dihydrogen per year.
Worldwide, the figure is 50 million
tons. Producing hydrogen from methane
leaves a residual gas composed of carbon
dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen. To solve
the issue of CO2 emissions from this
method of producing hydrogen,
Air Liquide has developed a unique
system named CryocapTM. The only
process of its type in the world, it was
put into service in 2015 at Air Liquide’s
largest French plant at Port-Jérôme-sur-
Seine, in Normandy.
Cryocap technology collects and
isolates the CO2 emitted when hydrogen
is produced. It is stored in liquid form
for use by industrial processes that
require a permanent supply of CO2 (such
as beverage carbonation, deep-freezing
and agricultural applications). The
H2 Cryocap plant at Port-Jérôme-sur-
Seine has an annual capture capacity of
100,000 tons of CO2. Air Liquide has
committed to making at least 50% of the
hydrogen required by these processes
low-carbon by 2020.

COMPARISON OF THE CALORIFIC EFFICIENCY OF DIFFERENT

VALUE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF FUEL ENGINES
Engine efficiency is the ratio between the amount of energy used to make it work
Calorific value is a measure of the thermal energy released when a
and the quantity of mechanical energy it produces.
substance is burned. It is expressed in megajoules per kilo of fuel
(MJ/kg) or in kilowatt hours per kilo of fuel (kWh/kg).

The table below compares the gross calorific value of fuels

commonly used for heating, transport or electricity production.
Powered by Powered by
DIESEL A FUEL CELL

MJ/kg kWh/kg 37% 60%

Coal 20 8
Petrol 47 9 Powered by
Powered by
Diesel 44 10
PETROL A BATTERY
Natural gas 50 10
Hydrogen 142 39
35% 80%

AIR LIQUIDE 5
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

OUR FRIEND
HYDROGEN
ALL AROUND US
•

HYDROGEN HAS AMAZING POTENTIAL FOR HELPING

SOCIETY TACKLE THE ENERGY TRANSITION CHALLENGE
BY INCLUDING RENEWABLE SOURCES IN THE ENERGY
MIX AND DECARBONIZING THE END USES OF FOSSIL
FUELS.

Climate change is forcing us to adapt
the way we source and use energy. The
world is moving towards an energy mix
composed mainly of renewable sources.
HYDROGEN,
AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF RE
Renewable energy sources (RE)
like solar and wind power present a
stability issue for electricity distribution
networks because they are intermittent.
The technical solution for this lies in
converting the excess electricity produced
during windy or sunny weather into
hydrogen through water electrolysis.
This stores the energy in gas form so that
it can be used as and when it is needed,
meaning that RE can be easily integrated
GREEN HYDROGEN
into existing networks. Combining
RE with hydrogen production can
also make islands and isolated regions
energy self-sufficient. If, in the future,
renewable energy confirms its ability to
be competitive, it will be possible to store
and transport it from one continent to
another in the form of liquid hydrogen or
combined with other molecules.
DECARBONIZING THE ECONOMY
The green hydrogen produced from
RE also offers a way of decarbonizing
many of the economic and human
activities that still depend on fossil fuels:
• Decarbonizing transport by using
fuel cells for private vehicles (cars and
motorbikes), trucks, freighters, ferries,
airplanes, buses and taxis, as well as
powering trains and trams on non-
electrified rail networks.
• Decarbonizing heating for
buildings by using cogeneration to
produce combined heat and power
(fuel cells and hydrogen turbines).
• Decarbonizing the energy
required for industry by using the
green hydrogen produced with RE for
chemistry and to produce stationary
electricity.
• Serve as a decarbonized raw
material in numerous chemical and
industrial processes, including the
production of ammonia, methanol,
and amines.

IS ESSENTIAL TO • Act as a “buffer” energy source to

increase the resilience of the electrical
DECARBONIZING network. Today, at global level, part of
NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES the energy is stored in fossil form (equal
© Shuttersctock

to 15% of demand), tomorrow it should

be stored in hydrogen form.

6
 LET’S DEBUNK SOME MYTHS!
IT’S EXPLOSIVE!
People will tell you hydrogen is
a dangerous explosive: look at the
Hindenburg airship fire, the H bomb,
and the Apollo 13 explosion! False!
THE HINDENBURG
DISASTER, 1937
It was the cotton and aluminum
envelope of the airship that caught fire
when an electrical discharge caused
by the excessive electrostatic charge of
the highly flammable coating on the
envelope was transmitted to the metal
frame. All those who remained aboard
the shuttle were safe.
THE HYDROGEN
BOMB, 1952
The hydrogen used for industrial and
mobility applications is the “standard”
hydrogen atom that is found in water
molecules (H2O) or natural gas
(CH4) used for heating. These are the
two main sources of hydrogen
(produced respectively from water
electrolysis or natural gas reforming).
It is significantly different from the
other forms of hydrogen mentioned
when referring to nuclear arms.
The thermonuclear bomb—incorrectly
called “hydrogen bomb” as a result
of a linguistic shortcut—is based on
the principle of fusion of the deuterium
© Shuttersctock
and tritium atoms, both hydrogen
isotopes, which are atoms that share
certain characteristics* with hydrogen.
Deuterium and tritium are rare on
AIR LIQUIDE
Earth and must be produced,
concentrated and packaged in a
highly specific way for their use in a
thermonuclear bomb. For military
uses, extremely specific conditions,
triggered by a human being, are
needed to initiate the fusion of
deuterium and tritium, resulting in a
chain reaction.
Hydrogen for industrial and mobility
uses does not share the isotopic or
reactive characteristics of hydrogen
related to thermonuclear reactions.
*Same number of protons but different
number of neutrons.
APOLLO 13, 1970
Two oxygen tanks exploded during
the American Apollo 13 lunar landing
attempt, endangering the lives of the
three astronauts on board. The
explosion was not linked to either
the hydrogen fuel or the fuel cells. It
was caused by a short-circuit in the fan
cables in one of the oxygen tanks.
Because dihydrogen molecules are
small, the risk of leaks from tanks
is higher than with a traditional fuel
(it is easier for the molecule to get
through the walls of the tank).
However, because hydrogen is highly
volatile, it disperses more quickly in
the air than natural gas or petrol vapor,
reducing the risk of an explosion.
IT’S INEFFICIENT!
This argument is based comparing
the efficiency of hydrogen-powered
electric motors – which use the
electrolysis of renewable energy (35%
efficiency from well to wheel) – with
that of electric batteries (50-60%
efficiency). This is true if the entire
chain is based on renewable energy,
but false in the current energy mix
where the electricity used in batteries
is produced in gas power plants, the
hydrogen is extracted from natural
gas and the CO2 is captured and
stored (a process called CCUS, see
page 4). In this case, the efficiency
levels are equivalent (around 40%
for both systems). Moreover, this
analysis does not take into account
the additional advantages of H2,
particularly in terms of the storage of
renewable energies, and their use in
industry and by consumers.
IT USES RARE METALS!
Current fuel cells contain no more
platinum than a catalytic converter,
but unlike catalytic converters, they
can also be recycled. According to
recent research, in the future it will
be possible to replace the platinum
with cheaper graphene (graphite
crystals), or even bacterial enzymes.
7
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

DESTINATION:
HYDROGEN
PIONEERING COMPANIES IN THE MOVE TO HYDROGEN
•

TRANSPORTATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 23% OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

WORLDWIDE, MAKING IT ONE OF THE MAJOR FOCUSES FOR THE ENERGY
TRANSITION. HYDROGEN IS INCREASINGLY EMERGING AS A LOGICAL SOLUTION.

Cars, planes, boats and trains – if we
want to keep the increase in global mean
temperatures within the 2°C target, we
need to stop using hydrocarbon-based
propulsion as soon as we can. This major
energy shift has begun across all areas
of transport and energy production.
working wonders in industrial mate-
rial handling within logistics platforms
across the world. In addition to their
long range, they recharge quickly and do
not pollute the air around them. Some
20,000 forklifts are already in service in
companies around the USA, including
be an estimated 10,000 forklifts on the
European market by 2020. Prélodis, the
logistics service provider for Grand Frais
stores, is spearheading the transforma-
tion with its Prelocentre site in Saint-
Cyr-en-Val, France, which uses only
hydrogen-powered forklifts. Air Liquide

© Colin Anderson Stocky.com

Hydrogen is a simple, clean and efficient
solution, but only mass production can
reduce its cost.
IN FACTORIES
Hydrogen-powered forklifts are
50 in Coca-Cola’s California center,
which Air Liquide supplies hydrogen
for. In Canada, Air Liquide supplies the
hydrogen that powers a fleet of over
750 forklifts serving the Walmart retail
group’s four logistics centers. There will
has built a charging station on the site
for more than 60 forklifts.
Remaining on the subject of fuel
supply, Air Liquide has built a hydrogen
station for FM Logistic’s Neuville-aux-
© xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

8
 The hydrogen used in launch vehicles is in liquid form.
NASA scientists believe that a solution to solidify the
fuel could pave the way for a new generation of even
faster launch vehicles.
© xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

AIR LIQUIDE 9
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN
Bois warehouse. There are currently
46 forklifts running from it. The 2015
project was part of the HAWL (Hydrogen
And Warehouse Logistics) project,
supported by the European private-
public partnership FCH JU (Fuel Cells
and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking). This
platform “for hydrogen and fuel cells”
will co-finance almost €1.3m worth of
projects between the end of 2014 and
2019.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Public transport is already testing
fuel cell technology. This market is
both a source of economic development
and a chance to educate people about
sustainable mobility. In Europe, since
2001 the CUTE (Clean Urban Transport
for Europe) project has supported the
commissioning of some thirty hydrogen-
powered buses in nine European cities
(Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg,
London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Porto,
Stockholm and Stuttgart) with three asso-
ciated projects (Perth, Beijing, and Reyk-
javik). The buses have already provided
pollution-free transport for 12 million
passengers, with no incidents reported.
Over half of the hydrogen consumed has
been produced from renewable energy
sources. The experiment has already been
duplicated elsewhere. In Rosenholm,
near Oslo in Norway, Air Liquide has
installed a hydrogen station to recharge
five buses. Other stations have been built
in Rotterdam (Netherlands) and near
Versailles (France), where cars and HGVs
have been able to recharge with hydrogen
10
since 2018. The latter station will supply
France’s first hydrogen bus service,
which will serve the Vélizy-Villacoublay
to Versailles line from 2019.
In Reykjavik, Iceland, hydrogen
buses have been in service since 2003; in
Korea and California they have been on
the roads since 2006. In Japan, the East
Japan Railway has been running a fuel-
cell-powered train on a non-electrified
suburban line since June 2007. In
Germany, the Lower Saxony region
began tackling the challenge of repla-
cing diesel trains by ordering 14 fuel-
cell-powered trains from Alstom, to be
commissioned in 2021. And of course,
we must not forget to mention the first
hydrogen-powered ferries, which are
already transporting passengers within
the port of Hamburg in Germany, and
across the River Erdre in Nantes, France.
PRIVATE VEHICLES
Since the 1990s, most major car
manufacturers have developed prototype
HYDROGEN-POWERED CARS:
RANGE AND CHARGING TIMES
COMPARABLE TO INTERNAL
COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLES
The charging station at Prelocentre, Saint-Cyr-en-Val,
which supplies more than 60 forklifts with hydrogen.
London is one of nine European cities that have used
hydrogen-powered buses.
hydrogen-powered cars. Initial research
focused on using hydrogen as a fuel
for conventional combustion engines
(by BMW, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford, GMC,
Lancia, Tata and others). This idea
was discarded due to efficiency issues.
Subsequent efforts focused on hydrogen
fuel cells. This research is now reaching
maturity, with numerous prototypes
(by Audi, Cadillac, General Motors,
Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes,
Nissan, Opel, Toyota, Volkswagen, etc.)
in use by vehicle fleets operated by
companies and local authorities. These
engines have already proved themselves
in terms of reliability, and they offer a
major advantage over battery-powered
models because their range (400 to
600km) and short charging times (3 to
5 minutes) are close to those achieved
with internal combustion engines.
Today, the first mass-produced hydrogen-
powered cars are rolling off the pro-
duction lines (Honda Clarity, Hyundai
Nexo, Toyota Mirai, and Daimler’s GLC
F-Cell). In Europe, BMW intends to
release its model in 2020.
© AL-Philippe Castano - Shutterstock
Toyota is in the process of creating a renewable energy power station at Long Beach port in California, USA.
Scheduled to open in 2020, the power station will generate 2.35 megawatts of electricity and 1.2 tons of
hydrogen per day. It will therefore supply the fuel for vehicles passing through the port. Toyota has also built
a hydrogen recharging stations on the site.

BUILDING DISTRIBUTION
NETWORKS
•

SHOULD WE WAIT FOR THE NUMBER OF HYDROGEN CARS TO REACH CRITICAL MASS BEFORE WE
© Toyota Motor North America Brian Watkins - Mourad Mokrani - Hiroaki Kurozawa

BUILD A NETWORK OF RECHARGING STATIONS, OR TAKE A RISK AND CREATE THE NETWORK FIRST?
BY DEVELOPING THE NETWORK IN LINE WITH SALES OF THE FIRST MASS-PRODUCED
HYDROGEN-POWERED CARS, AIR LIQUIDE HAS FOUND A THIRD WAY.

IN THE USA, hydrogen is already
out on the road, promoted by Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s car in California,
where Air Liquide is operating a
hydrogen charging station in Anaheim.
The ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle)
program was set up by the California Air
Resources Board, and adopted by eight
other American states. It requires car
manufacturers to sell a minimum quota
of zero emission vehicles, thereby encou-
raging the take-up of hydrogen cars.
Since January 2018, California has
also been considering banning the sale of
new diesel and petrol vehicles – private
cars and trucks – from January 1, 2040.
More generally, Air Liquide is supporting
the commercial launch of the Toyota
Mirai (photos below, right) in Boston
and New York by creating a network of
12 hydrogen charging stations in North-
Eastern USA, in collaboration with
Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.
IN JAPAN, the government views
hydrogen as a major energy and its
stated ambition is to become a
hydrogen-based society. 100 charging
stations already exist, and the roadmap
provides for 320 stations by 2025.
Air Liquide is a member of the “Japan
H2 Mobility” (JHyM) consortium of

AIR LIQUIDE 11
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN
nearly 20 companies focused on attrac-
ting new investors and operators to
support the development of a network
of hydrogen stations in Japan. JHyM will
begin by installing 80 more hydrogen
stations over the next four years (in ad-
dition to the 100 existing ones), to fuel
some 40,000 hydrogen-powered electric
cars. Air Liquide’s contribution between
now and 2021 will be to build and ope-
rate some twenty stations, in addition
to the six already in service in Nagoya,
Toyota, Saga, Fukuoka, Kobé and
Kawasaki. The Nagoya and Toyota
stations, in Aichi prefecture, were
developed by a joint venture between
Air Liquide and Toyota Tsusho.
IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES,
Air Liquide opened the country’s first
hydrogen charging station in Dubai
in October 2017, in partnership with
Al-Futtaim Motors, the UAE’s exclusive
Toyota dealer. The station uses cutting-
edge technology to cope with the region’s
weather conditions. This initiative is a
perfect example of the measures taken
under the UAE’s Vision 2021 National
Agenda to reduce CO2 emissions and
promote cleaner, sustainable transport
within the Emirates.
IN GERMANY, Air Liquide has opened
12 hydrogen stations as part of various
12
partnerships, including the H2 Mobility
Deutschland joint venture, created by
Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell
and Total. These companies joined forces
to take the existing network of hydrogen
stations – currently 43 – to 400 facilities,
with the support of the German govern-
ment. Through this initiative, Air Liquide
Group is playing its part in building
Europe’s largest hydrogen distribution
network.
IN NORTHERN EUROPE, Air Liquide opened
its first station in Rotterdam, Netherlands
in September 2014. Five other hydrogen
stations have also been installed in
Denmark, operated by Air Liquide’s sub-
sidiary Copenhagen Hydrogen Network
(CHN). These five stations – three in
Copenhagen, one in Aalborg and one
in Vejle – come in addition to the two
already operating in Denmark (one in
Copenhagen and one in Holstebro).
IN FRANCE, in January 2015, Air Liquide
opened a hydrogen charging station in
Saint-Lô, on behalf of the Manche Depart-
mental Council. It is the fifth hydrogen
charging station opened by Air Liquide in
France for cars and buses. Air Liquide has
also opened a station on the GEG site in
Grenoble, to fuel the company’s vehicle
fleets. It is part of the Hyway project,
co-funded by the Auvergne-Rhône-
Alpes regional council, ADEME, and the
European Union (as part of the ERDF
– European Regional Development Fund
– program) and supported by DREAL,
the French Regional Directorate for the
Environment, Planning and Housing.
The project involves the H2 industry’s
main players, all of whom are based in
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Air Liquide,
CEA, CNR, GEG, GNVERT, McPhy
Energy, PUS (Cofely Services), and Sym-
bio, coordinated by Tenerrdis. It aims to
use captive fleets to trial and verify the
technical and economic justification for
a “hydrogen kit” to extend the range of
hybrid electric vehicles.
In addition, to mark the COP21 in
December 2015, Air Liquide opened
central Paris’s first hydrogen charging
station at Pont de l’Alma in partnership
with STEP (Société du Taxi Electrique
Parisien, a start-up which Air Liquide is
a minority shareholder of). Air Liquide
also supported STEP in launching Hype,
the world’s first fleet of hydrogen fuel
cell taxis. Today, there is a fleet of 100
hydrogen-powered vehicles (Hyundai
ix35 and Toyota Mirai). They can also
recharge at the new stations built by
Air Liquide at Paris-Orly airport and
Loges-en-Josas, near Versailles. STEP
plans to be running 600 taxis by
the end of 2020.
Air Liquide has opened the first hydrogen
charging station in Paris, enabling STEP to
© AL_J.Melin
operate a fleet of hydrogen-powered electric
vehicles called “Hype” in the French capital.
 HYDROGEN TAKES TO SOCIAL MEDIA
•

CH2ANGE IS AN AIR LIQUIDE GROUP INITIATIVE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, MEDIUM AND YOUTUBE,
OFFERING A UNIQUE FORUM FOR DISCUSSION ON THE ROLE OF HYDROGEN IN THE ENERGY
TRANSITION. IT IS A PLACE FOR SCIENTISTS, SPECIALISTS AND ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED
TO SHARE VIDEOS, IN-DEPTH ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS.
*(HTTPS://FR-FR.FACEBOOK.COM/CH2ANGE/)

As climate change forces us to rethink the « The first step is to change

way we live, travel and produce energy,
it is vital to provide a forum for evi-
habits and opinions, and
dence-based, constructive debate to raise that’s undoubtedly what’s
awareness of the urgency of the situation already happening. »
and find solutions. Hydrogen is one of the
keys to shaping the mobility of the future.
It must be central to our discussions.

MARY DOLORES NICHOLS

Chair of the California
Air Resources Board (CARB)

« The road ahead will see the coexistence of two evolving

technologies that meet the needs of different segments.
[…] Consumers will choose the vehicle and technology
that best meet their needs and expectations in terms
of price and performance. As a manufacturer, we must
offer the consumer choice, and we see battery-powered
and fuel cell vehicles as the future options. »

PROF. KATSUHIKO HIROSE

Engineer and researcher specializing
in hydrogen and fuel cells
for Toyota Motor Corporation

« If we don’t start to take large-scale hydrogen

conversion seriously, I can’t see how we can meet
climate change commitments. Governments need
to be realistic: the availability of hydrogen for
Gas
Nothern Gas

heating, transport and electricity will have a

EERE -- Nothern

critical role to play. »

© CARB - Toyota

DAN SADLER
H21 Programme Director
Leeds City Gate

AIR LIQUIDE 13
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

OVERVIEW OF THE HYDROGEN

MOBILITY MARKET

FROM THE SEA TO THE STARS,

HYDROGEN VEHICLES ARE BECOMING
PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

ENERGY OBSERVER
The world’s first energy-autonomous hydrogen-powered
vessel, which produces no greenhouse gases or
particulates. In partnership with Air Liquide, this former
competition sailing yacht has been converted into a
ship of the future, with electrical propulsion that operates
thanks to a combination of renewable energies and
a decarbonized hydrogen production system that
uses seawater. Air Liquide is backing this scientific and
technological project, which is testament to the role of
hydrogen in the energy transition. The Group’s financial
support for this project also illustrates its desire to
contribute to a more sustainable world.

14
 NAVIBUS (APRIL 2018)
Commissioning of the Jules Verne 2
riverboat, which connects the two
university campuses located on either
side of the Erdre river, in Nantes. It can
carry 12 passengers and six bicycles.
Air Liquide supplies the hydrogen for the
Navibus.

ARIANE 5
© Kadeg Boucher - Éric Schaeffer - Sipa - ESA/Stephane Corvaja

The main stage of the Ariane 5

launch vehicle is powered by a
cryogenic engine. It operates for
approximately 10 minutes, using
220 tons of liquid propellants
(hydrogen and oxygen).
Air Liquide has supported the
successive evolutions of Ariane
launch vehicles 1 to 5, and was
involved from the beginning of
the Ariane European program
due to its cutting-edge gas
expertise and position as
a global leader in space
cryogenics.

AIR LIQUIDE 15
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

2.HY4 (2016)
With an 80 KW motor,
the HY4 carries four
people, with a range
of between 750 and
1,500 km, and
a cruising speed
of 145 km/h.

1. BYD’S ARTICULATED EBUS (2015)

With hundreds of hydrogen buses around the world,
the Chinese manufacturer BYD is the market leader. 4. CORADIA ILINT, ALSTOM (2017)
This articulated bus above is 18 m long.
This train can travel 1,000 km on a full charge and has a top speed
of 140 km/h. Alstom will build fourteen of these fuel cell trains for
the local transport authority of Lower Saxony, to replace their diesel
motor-coach trains. They will travel between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven,
Bremervörde, and Buxtehude starting in December 2021.

3 4

© BYD - Alpha/Pragma Industries - Alstom - Nikola Motors - DLR Fotomedien/Felix Oprean

3. ALPHA
Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, this electric
bike invented by the Frenchman Pierre Forté and
manufactured by Pragma Industries has a range of
100 km and can be recharged in less than a minute!

5. NIKOLA MOTORS (2016)

The American manufacturer has announced the release of
two fuel cell trucks — Nicola One and Two – in 2021. 1,000 HP,
0 to 100 km/h in 30 seconds, with a range of 1,300 to
1,900 km. The company claimed to have received more
than 8,000 orders by early 2018. 5
16
 6 7

7. HYUNDAI NEXO (2018)

This SUV will replace the ix35 Fuel Cell (in countries where
6. TOYOTA MIRAI (2014) it is imported); 163 HP ; 179 km/h - range: 800 km
113 kW/154 HP. Reached the landmark of 3,000 cars sold - 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 sec.
in California in January 2018. Range: 650 km.

8. HONDA FCX CLARITY FUEL CELL 8

2E GÉNÉRATION (2017)
130 kW/ 177 HP - 165 km/h -
range: 500 km.

9
© Toyota/David Dewhurst - Shutterstock - Honda - Green GT H2

9. GREEN GT H2 (2012)
The first electric-hydrogen competition prototype. Fitted with
a 400 kW/540 HP drivetrain. This car, driven by former F1 driver
Olivier Panis, opened the 2016 24H Le Mans race.

AIR LIQUIDE 17
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

THREE QUESTIONS
FOR JULES VERNE
« WATER IS A GIFT FROM THE EARTH AND BELONGS TO ALL HUMANITY.
IT IS UP TO US TO BORROW IT WISELY SO WE CAN PASS IT ON.” »
•

JULES VERNE WAS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED SCIENTIFIC VISIONARY

FOR WHOM “WATER IS THE COAL OF THE FUTURE”. HERE, HE LAYS OUT HIS VISION FOR
THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HYDROGEN INDUSTRY.

WE KNOW YOU ENJOY INVENTING NEW DO YOU THINK YOUR

PROPULSION METHODS. WHAT DO YOU
SEE AS THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE?
JULES VERNE : As I’ve been saying for
many years, I believe that one day water
will be used as a fuel. The hydrogen and
oxygen of which it is made will be used
separately or together to supply us with
an inexhaustible source of heat and light
far more intense than coal could ever be.
YOU’VE BEEN USING FUEL CELL ENGINE
YOURSELF FOR ALMOST FIFTY YEARS. WHAT
ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THAT?
J. V. : I’ve actually built a small power
station for my family at our house in
Nantes. I’ve put solar panels on the roof
and a wind turbine in the garden facing
the Loire river. I use the electricity they
produce to electrolyze water (either
tap water or rain water). That produces
hydrogen and oxygen, which I store
under pressure in canisters. I recombine
the two gases myself to heat the house,
produce hot water and power the cooker
and refrigerator. I use the hydrogen on
INVENTIONS WILL BE WIDELY
USED ONE DAY? HOW COULD
THAT COME ABOUT?
J. V. : A few days ago, the
Secretary General of the UN
told me that, in an endeavor
to protect the planet, he had
placed on the agenda of the
general meeting a motion
to end the use of fossil fuels
within five years, and list
my processes as sustainable
development tools. I may
receive a support for my
research on algae and bacteria!
In truth, I can tell you that
by making water once again
central to our society and economy, we
will restore it to its rightful place within
the ecosystem. Water is a gift from the
earth and belongs to all humanity. It is
up to us to borrow it wisely, so we can
pass it on!
© Shutterstock - Mary Evans/Sipa

its own to recharge the fuel cell in my

© xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

car. I even collect the water produced by IMAGINARY INTERVIEW

the car in a second tank. So, I’m actually
only borrowing the water - using it BASED ON “THE
temporarily. I’m also trialing the use
of algae to produce hydrogen without
MYSTERIOUS ISLAND”
electrolysis.

18
 UNLIMITED
CLEAN
ENERGY
•

FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE

CHANGE, THE GROWING USE OF HYDROGEN
MAKES SENSE IF THE GAS PRODUCED IS
CARBON NEUTRAL. THERE ARE THREE
INDUSTRIES FOR WHICH THIS IS THE CASE:
BIOGAS REFORMING; THE H2 CRYOCAP METHOD,
WHICH DECARBONATES ITS PRODUCTION
THROUGH NATURAL GAS; AND WATER
ELECTROLYSIS, WHICH HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF
STORING THE SURPLUS OF ENERGY PRODUCED
FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES.

CryocapTM H2 unit on the Air Liquide site in Port-Jérôme, France. It uses cold (cryogenics)
to capture the CO2 emitted during hydrogen production. This is a world first.

The development of hydrogen the decomposition of water. Water

mobility requires growing quantities
of hydrogen. This hydrogen must be
extracted from the molecules that contain
it (water and organic compounds like
natural gas and biomass), without
releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
90% of total global hydrogen production
is from organic compounds but it is
possible to control the CO2 emissions
related to this process. Thanks to
Air Liquide’s Cryocap H2 technology,
it is possible to capture and reuse the
carbon dioxide released during hydrogen
production from natural gas (so-called
© Pierre-Emmanuel Rastoin
electrolysis is a simple, clean, and
sustainable solution. Water covers over
70% of the earth’s surface. Extracting
hydrogen from water through electrolysis
requires electrical energy, which has
long affected its profitability but the
development of renewable solar and wind
energy changes things. Firstly, because the
price of sustainable energy is becoming
competitive, and secondly, as they
produce electricity at times when demand
is low, large quantities are wasted.
Water electrolysis is a convenient way
to store energy in the form of hydrogen.
TECHNOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE
The dawn of a new energy era
is characterized by effervescence
in development research.
As well as its own research
laboratories, Air Liquide also
supports innovative companies
working in the hydrogen industry.
Air Liquide’s venture capital
subsidiary, ALIAD, has, for
example, taken minority stakes in
three companies: McPhy Energy,
Plug Power, and Ergosup.

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Hydrogen therefore gives us renewable

technology (CCUS), see article on page 4).
A SOLUTION AT OUR FINGERTIPS
There is another burgeoning
hydrogen production industry though:
energy on tap. In the case of transport,
using renewable energy to electrolyze
water and then using it to produce
electricity via a fuel cell later creates a
virtuous energy circle.
Find out more:
https://www.airliquide.com/fr/
groupe/aliad-venture-capital

AIR LIQUIDE 19
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

CLIMATE-COMPATIBLE HYDROGEN
Blue Hydrogen® is an Air Liquide initiative that aims to gradually lower the carbon content
of Air Liquide’s hydrogen production dedicated to energy applications. Concretely, Air Liquide
is committed to achieving at least 50% of low carbon hydrogen necessary for these applications
by 2020, by combining:
- the use of low carbon energies, water electrolysis, and reforming of biogas,
- carbon capture and valorization technologies for the CO2 emitted during the production of
hydrogen from natural gas.
Even when produced using natural gas, hydrogen is a virtuous energy: over an equal distance
traveled, the use of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles decreases greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared with
combustion vehicles and does not emit any particulate matter.

FROM PRODUCTION TO USE

1.
ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION
FROM RES

Wind, solar, hydraulic,

and geothermal power

Air Liquide has already built

100 hydrogen charging stations
around the world.

4. DISTRIBUTION
2. Industry, network of
stations (on-board fuel cells),
national grid (stationary fuel
WATER ELECTROLYSIS cells, electricity production and
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
domestic/district heating, gas
network).

Air Liquide has 1,850 km of

pipelines to deliver hydrogen
to customers in industry.

3. IN PARALLEL
STORAGE
In liquid form, under high BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTION
pressure and low pressure. By micro-organisms and algae, and
through bio-inspired chemistry.

BIOMASS

20
 TIME TO SCALE UP
•

HYDROGEN PUTS US ON THE CUSP OF A NEW ECONOMY WHICH IS WAITING TO BE BUILT.

THE PLANS AND THE MATERIALS ARE READY. BUT MANY COUNTRIES ARE STILL MISSING
THE STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL VISION TO TAKE THEM FORWARD.

To produce hydrogen from renewable
energy sources, generate heat, commit
to clean transport and decarbonize
various activities, we need to develop
every link in numerous production
chains, build new synergies and
train people to work in the hydrogen
industry of the future. They will be
employed producing hydrogen and
manufacturing electrolyzers, electrolytes,
fuel cells, autonomous service station
networks, turbines, boilers of all sizes,
and propulsion mechanisms for cars,
ships, trains, buses, drones, mopeds
and bicycles. The efforts required are
extensive, but also feasible and full of
promise. Extensive because they cover
a wide range of sectors; feasible because
holding us back? It is the alignment
of all stakeholders, whether they be
industrial or political, that has so far
prevented hydrogen solutions from
taking off. We have spent a long time
dragging our feet on the experimentation
stage, while a country like South Korea
is moving forward quickly, aiming to
put 10,000 hydrogen-powered cars
on the road by 2020. Japan already
boasts 100 hydrogen charging stations
and is using fuel cells to heat some
THE DIFFICULTY IS ALSO
THE ALIGNMENT OF INDUSTRY
200,000 homes. California wants to
ban all fossil-fuel engines by 2040. The
national hydrogen plan announced
on June 1 by France’s Minister for the
Ecological and Inclusive Transition,
Nicolas Hulot, could mark the end of the
carbon-powered old world’s hesitation.
CHANGING DIRECTION
The shift should not be too difficult.
The Ariane rocket and its peers have
used hydrogen engines to put hundreds
© ESA/Thomas Pesquet

all the solutions are on the table; and

full of promise because of the future AND POLITICS
they will carve out for our children and
our children’s children. It’s something
we can all get excited about. So, what’s

AIR LIQUIDE 21
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

of satellites into orbit since the 1980s,

and NASA has entrusted the lives of
its cosmonauts to fuel cells. People
have been driving hydrogen-powered
cars for more than 20 years. The major
technical pitfalls were overcome decades
ago. Price remains a barrier, and the
only way it can fall is through mass
production in each market segment
where hydrogen is used. A strong signal
from the markets or from politicians
is needed to bring these technologies
into widespread use. The impetus could
come from an announcement of a ban
on fossil-fuel engines, financial support
for hydrogen distribution networks,
measures to subsidize the cost of the first
mass-produced vehicles (tax incentives,
rebates for buyers, and bonuses for
scrapping old cars, etc.), or any decision
that identifies hydrogen as society’s fuel
of the future.
By 2030, the Hydrogen Council
expects one in twelve cars in Germany,
California, South Korea, and Japan
to be hydrogen-powered. On a global
scale, 250 to 300 TWh of unused THE MAJOR TECHNICAL
solar or wind-turbine energy could be
converted into hydrogen, and industry PITFALLS WERE OVERCOME
could replace 10 to 15 million tons of DECADES AGO
chemical raw materials with hydrogen.
Lastly, over 50 million homes could also

BREAKING OUT OF THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF IMMOBILITY be connected to a combined gas and
Today, the factors limiting the growth of hydrogen cars are the lifespan of hydrogen network by 2030.
the fuel cell (around 150,000km), the price of the vehicle, and the hydrogen Annual investments of $20 bn
distribution network. Research laboratories are already working on strategies to $25 bn will be needed to achieve
for improving fuel cells. The price of hydrogen cars is still high (from these ambitions. To put these figures
€66,000), although rental contracts offer a cheaper solution. Purchase prices in perspective, global energy spending
will automatically reduce as the cars go into mass production, but who is equates to $1,700 bn per year. The
going to want to buy a hydrogen car if there is nowhere to refuel it? Political sector’s businesses are capable of
and financial support is vital to the development of the hydrogen distribution meeting the challenge, but this level
network. Air Liquide is proactive within the hydrogen industry. It is innovating of investment can only be achieved in
by building hydrogen service stations to keep pace with sales of hydrogen- close collaboration with the authorities,
© Travelpix Stocksy.com

powered cars. So far, Air Liquide has designed and installed some 100 hydrogen and with the support of appropriate
service stations across the world. Of them, around forty are directly owned and public policy measures.
operated by Air Liquide Group. We must develop distribution networks so we Across the hydrogen industry, all the
can move away from fossil fuels. Given the climate emergency, these networks teams and their captains are ready to set
are a public good. a course for the future.

22
 HYDROGEN
ON LINE
WITH THE SUPPORT OF EUROPE
AND UNDER THE COORDINATION OF
AIR LIQUIDE, DENMARK IS LAUNCHING
100% RENEWABLE ENERGY MIXES, WHERE
HYDROGEN PROVIDES NETWORK STABILITY.
This is a European first that is worth
focusing on. HyBalance – short for
Hydrogen Balance – is an industrial
system that illustrates hydrogen’s
important role in the energy transition.
HyBalance covers the entire value chain,
from the production of hydrogen from
renewable energies to the end user, via
energy storage and retrieval to facilitate
grid balancing. Europe’s decision to
create this futuristic demonstrator
in Denmark was just reward for this
country’s commitment to the energy
transition. In 2012, the government
decided to eliminate all fossil fuel use for
heating and electricity by 2035. And by
2050, all fossil fuels will be replaced by a
mix of renewable energies.
GREEN HYDROGEN
The plant, inaugurated in 2018,
is located in the Hobro region, in the
north of the Jutland Peninsula. Wind
© HyBalance
turbines in the region provide the power
needed to produce hydrogen through
water electrolysis. This is what we call
AIR LIQUIDE
•
power to gas. This green hydrogen is
stored under pressure and used in grid
balancing, and to supply manufacturers
and five existing hydrogen charging
stations operated by Air Liquide through
its subsidiary, Copenhagen Hydrogen
Network (CHN). These stations are
already used to recharge 60 hydrogen
fuel cell vehicles and will soon also be
used by three buses in Aalborg.
HyBalance uses key new hydrogen
production technologies, for example
a 1.2 MW PEM (proton exchange
membrane) electrolyzer supplied by
Hydrogenics, and a high-pressure
hydrogen supply chain for the charging
HYBALANCE FEATURES
KEY NEW PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGIES
stations. HyBalance received a €8
million grant from the Fuel Cells and
Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU)
– a European public-private partnership
on hydrogen and energy storage, and
also receives support from the Danish
program EUDP (Energy Technology
Development and Demonstration
Program).
The objective of a 100%-renewable
energy mix highlights the ubiquity of
hydrogen in clean energy storage, its
role in grid balancing, and its potential
for liberating transportation from its
addiction to fossil fuels.
23
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

THE HYDROGEN ECOSYSTEM

•

HAVING GROWN FROM THIRTEEN TO MORE THAN FIFTY MEMBERS IN ONE YEAR, THE
HYDROGEN COUNCIL ILLUSTRATES THE DESIRE OF THE SECTOR’S MAIN PLAYERS
TO PLAY THEIR ROLE IN REALIZING THE COMMITMENTS OF THE COP 21. DIRECTLY
OPERATIONAL, IT IS PUTTING HYDROGEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE ENERGY
TRANSITION FOR MOBILITY, ENERGY, INDUSTRY, BUILDING HEATING AND POWER.

The hydrogen economy relies on a (Air Liquide, Alstom, Anglo American, strategic framework to guide the energy
range of competencies from a variety BMW Group, Daimler, ENGIE, Honda, transition, and coordinate and encourage
of players, none of whom master all Hyundai Motor, Kawasaki, Royal Dutch investment. As the co-president of the
aspects; contrary to electricity where a Shell, The Linde Group, Total, and Hydrogen Council and CEO of Air
single player can produce, build, and Toyota) and managed by two presidents Liquide, Benoît Potier, says «we need
distribute – as was the case with EDF from two different regions and different governments to support hydrogen through
and as Elon Musk currently does from sectors. In one year, its membership has actions that only they can undertake – for
solar panels to the electric car. Faced tripled and it has developed a shared example through major infrastructure
with the indisputable and indispensable vision with governments and civil investments.»
complementarity of businesses and society at major international events
companies, the directors of leading (Global Economic Forum, Cop23, GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
companies in the industry’s various etc.). This coalition of multinationals To date, the Hydrogen Council has
segments agreed to set up the Hydrogen represents more than €1,600 billion in published two studies – «How hydrogen
Council. revenue and more than 2.5 million jobs empowers the energy transition» and
around the world (2017). Being made up «Hydrogen, scaling up» – which present
ACCELERATING THE ENERGY of CEOs allows the Hydrogen Council to the first global vision of hydrogen’s
TRANSITION define strategies and make the relevant potential in the energy transition, as well
The Hydrogen Council (http:// operational decisions. They work on as the actions it believes are necessary
hydrogencouncil.com/) is the hydrogen the harmonization of industry standards from policymakers to implement and
economy’s task force, launched at the across regions and sectors, provide enable the emergence of a veritable
Global Economic Forum in Davos their expertise in terms of the feasibility ecosystem for the tiny, essential molecule
(Switzerland), in 2017, with 13 CEOs of decarbonization solutions, and ask that is hydrogen. This dynamic is vital
from the sector’s biggest companies policymakers to provide a long-term to support the disruptive technological
innovation that hydrogen introduces to
the energy transition, to create economies
of scale, and reduce costs.
CAPTIVE FLEETS In its recent reports, the International
The development of hydrogen mobility in France has started with captive Energy Agency (IEA) highlights that
fleets (cars, buses, bicycles). The Mobilité Hydrogène France consortium current projected levels of greenhouse gas
brings together all the public and private stakeholders, from energy companies emissions would cause global warming
to users. The Manche Departmental Council has set itself the aim of acquiring a of 6°C by 2100. To remain within the 2°C
fleet of 40 hydrogen-powered vehicles, five buses, and one fishing boat, as well limit announced at the COP21, the IEA
as three charging stations. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region’s Zero Emission recommends that 25% of the global car
Valley program supports the creation of a network of 20 hydrogen charging fleet be fitted with fuel cells by 2050. This
stations devoted to captive fleets, around 15 of which will produce their own ambition and urgency justify the removal
hydrogen through electrolysis. In total, it will allow 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell of economic barriers to the development
vehicles to circulate in the region. of hydrogen at the global level and to
make it an everyday reality.

24
 INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS
•

IN OVER FIFTY YEARS, AIR LIQUIDE HAS DEVELOPED UNIQUE EXPERTISE ACROSS THE
ENTIRE HYDROGEN CHAIN; FROM PRODUCTION, TO STORAGE, AND DISTRIBUTION.
THE GROUP IS ACTIVELY PURSUING A TWIN-PRONGED STRATEGY: THE DEVELOPMENT
OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN HYDROGEN IN ORDER TO IMPROVE EXISTING
TECHNOLOGIES AND TO DEVELOP MORE EFFICIENT ONES, AS WELL AS INVOLVEMENT
IN MAJOR INTERNATIONAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. INCLUDING:

Japan Hydrogen Mobility is a joint

venture created in 2018 by Air Liquide
Japan and 17 Japanese companies from
various industries and finance to accelerate
the deployment of hydrogen stations and
fuel cell vehicles in Japan, with the support
of the Japanese government. The objective
is to set up a network of 320 stations by
2025, and 900 by 2030.
Air Liquide is part of Hydrogen
Europe – an association that represents
more than 100 companies in the
hydrogen sector. Hydrogen Europe is
working with the European Commission
and the community of researchers to
ensure these clean technologies reach
the energy and transportation industries
more quickly.
The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy
Association is focused on advocating,
educating and providing a voice
to promote the environmental and
economical benefits of fuel cell and
hydrogen energy technologies.
The Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint
Undertaking (FCH JU), a public-
private partnership co-managed by the
European Commission and European
manufacturers operating in the sector.
FCH JU co-finances major research and
demonstration projects around Europe
to improve and promote fuel cell and
hydrogen technologies.
Air Liquide is a founding partner
of the joint venture «H2 Mobility
Deutschland», created in 2015 with
Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell, and Total,
in order to continue to develop the
infrastructure of hydrogen stations
started by the Clean Energy Partnership.
H2 Mobility has set itself the objective
of 400 stations, with the support of the
German government.
Air Liquide is a member of the
Association Française pour l’Hydrogène
et les Piles à Combustible (French
Association for hydrogen and fuel cells).
Air Liquide supports the Alliance
Mondiale pour les Solutions Efficientes
(global alliance for efficient solutions)
created in 2016 on the initiative of
the Solar Impulse Foundation and its
president Bertrand Piccard. Air Liquide
has provided the Alliance with a group
of experts to evaluate concrete energy
solutions that combine economic and
ecological benefits with energy efficiency.
The California Fuel Cell Partnership
is an industry/government collaboration
aimed at expanding the market for
fuel cell electric vehicles powered
by hydrogen to help create a cleaner,
more energy-diverse future with no-
compromises zero emission vehicles.

AIR LIQUIDE 25
DESTINATION: HYDROGEN

THE BIG INTERVIEW

THOMAS PESQUET
IN SPACE THANKS TO HYDROGEN ENGINES
•

HYDROGEN IS THE MOST COMMON ELEMENT IN THE SUN, MOST STARS, AND
INTERGALACTIC MATTER. COSMONAUT THOMAS PESQUET, WHO SPENT 196 DAYS ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, GIVES HIS TAKE ON HYDROGEN.

When I say hydrogen, what you
think of?
Thomas Pesquet : I think of
propulsion, because most space vessels
have hydrogen engines. That’s what takes
us into space.
Do you think that the lessons
learned in space can help us on
earth?
Yes, that’s already the case for many
things. We developed solar power
for space and now we are seeing its
applications on Earth; likewise, for
hydrogen and space propulsion, which
has given us fuel cell vehicles. These
fuel cells were used in the space shuttle
to produce electricity. Space is a very
hostile environment. You need to adapt,
which requires effort and ingenuity, but
for the space station or the technology
that enables us to reach space, the results
trickle down to the rest of society.
Have hydrogen solutions proved
their reliability for getting to space?
Yes, of course! There have never been
any accidents related to that. There are a
lot of advantages. Hydrogen is a part of
our everyday life in space exploration,
but we need to go further and find
solutions. Nowadays people are talking
about creating fuel for space ships from
in situ resources, i.e. by mining asteroids
to get hydrogen – that is to say water –
by separating hydrogen and oxygen, to
make space fuel. This means that, as long
as you can mine in space, you have all
the fuel you need. It’s eco-friendly too as
you no longer need to pollute unspoiled
We tend to forget the hydrogen is
a major component of the cosmos.
Yes, you can find it in huge quantities
around you in space, even very far away
from Earth. In fact, we have unlimited
access to hydrogen. We find it buried, in
the form of liquid water and ice. We know
that ice is buried at the poles on Mars,
and, therefore, that there are abundant
energy, fuel, and oxygen resources to
support life.
Does an understanding of
hydrogen’s potential change
the way you see the world?
It’s like wearing infrared glasses: you
see things differently, it’s a filter that you
couldn’t have previously imagined. When
you look toward space, you need to wear
the right goggles to try and find what
© ESA

then, whether it be scientific research environments. would keep us alive.

26
 AIR LIQUIDE
KEY FIGURES

AIR LIQUIDE AND HYDROGEN ENERGY

100 hydrogen stations A hydrogen station can A hydrogen car can ride
designed and installed recharge vehicles in more than 600 km with
in the world. less than 5 minutes. one charging.

Zero CO2 emission. Hydrogen produced by Air Liquide Revenue from hydrogen
Zero particle. in 2016 for the refinery and for refineries and
Zero noise pollution. petrochemical markets: petrochemical markets
14 billion m3. in 2016:
The current production could allow €2 billion.
to recharge around 10 million
hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles.

THE AIR LIQUIDE GROUP

The world leader in gases, Present in Approximately More than 3.5 million
technologies and services 80 countries. 65,000 employees. customers and patients.
for Industry and Health.

292 millions euros of Around 300 patents 2017 Revenue:

innovation expenses, per year. €20.3 billion.
almost 60% of these expenses 2017 Net profit:
are related to the improving €2.2 billion.
of the environmental footprint,
air quality and healthcare.

AIR LIQUIDE 27
 For any additional information,
please contact :

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
media@airliquide.com
Tel. : +33 (0) 1 40 62 50 84

AIR LIQUIDE HYDROGEN ENERGY

Dominique Lecocq
Tel. : +33 (0) 4 76 43 64 97
E-mail : dominique.lecocq@airliquide.com

Follow us on Twitter
@AirLiquideGroup
@cH2ange

WWW.ENERGIES.AIRLIQUIDE.COM